The engine operates incredibly smoothly, delivering power precisely when needed.

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I wanted to share my experience of purchasing the Kia Seltos facelift GTX+ after having owned the same variant for the past four years.

I was an early buyer of the Kia Seltos GTX+ DCT in sparkling silver when it launched back in 2019. The car was acquired through my company’s car lease program, but due to the pandemic, I didn’t get to drive it much. Over four years, I managed just 40,000 kilometres. As the car lease program concluded, I deliberated and eventually sold it for a great price. I used the proceeds to repay a housing loan, slashing the interest outflow by nearly 70 lakhs and reducing the tenure by 7 years! The monthly EMI I was used to didn’t dictate my next financial move, so I opted for the new facelift version of the Seltos GTX+, unable to find a comparable alternative within my budget.

I made a personal booking in early September to avoid a long wait. The process, however, took longer than expected due to the asset retirement and ownership transfer, taking almost a month. Eventually, I submitted the purchase application at the office, which took an additional 2-3 weeks due to various stakeholders. Finally, the payment was made to the dealer, and the car was ready for pickup. I changed the colour choice thrice during the waiting period—from pewter olive to steel silver and finally to imperial blue. Red wasn’t an option, as our apartment already boasts three vehicles in that colour.

The day of collection arrived after completing registrations and formalities. I preferred a simple and neat ceremony, instructing no garlands, poojas, or ribbons, and requested the removal of plastics. I added a 7D mat and a 3D boot mat as accessories but steered clear of additional chrome since, in my opinion, it detracts from the car’s appearance. Surprisingly, this is the first time in 20 years of driving that I didn’t take a test drive or see the vehicle in person beforehand.

Here’s a summary of my car history over the past four years: Maruti 1000 (used), silver Esteem, beige Honda City, automatic Honda City, Seltos 2019 (sparkling silver), and now Seltos 2023 (imperial blue) – all top end variants!

The only disappointment I encountered with this car was the pre-installed Apollo tires; everything else, from the overall booking to the delivery experience, was flawless.

Having driven both variants, here’s my breakdown of what I find different and better:

• The engine operates incredibly smoothly, delivering power precisely when needed. Noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) levels are exceptionally well-managed. Kia’s insulation against outside noise is impressive—I could hardly tell the engine was running even at higher RPMs.
• The Bose speaker system outshines the previous version by far. Even my daughter, who’s the primary DJ in the car, agrees. I’m confident it’ll suffice, especially if I follow the advice of some fellow car enthusiasts to dampen the doors.
• Activating Kia Connect was effortless; it began working from day one. I only had to contact Kia Care to remove the previous vehicle, which they did proactively before the new car arrived.
• I noticed that the lumbar support in the previous model was slightly better, but I didn’t experience any discomfort with the new seats.
• The interior feels incredibly spacious despite the black colour scheme, which doesn’t detract from its appearance or make it seem smaller.
• The panoramic sunroof adds to the roomy, airy feel inside. Rear passengers now get to enjoy the weather outside, particularly during rainy days.
• The car utilizes space efficiently, with covered cupholders and various slots for storing a mobile phone or wallet.
• The dashboard resembles a cockpit with all essential controls, beautifully designed. The themed approach for different driving modes—normal, sport, eco, or dynamic—is neat.
• The Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) are a boon; adaptive cruise control and lane assist are both cool and very helpful. These features aren’t for aggressive drivers, as the systems encourage disciplined driving. Of course, you can always disable them if they’re not your preference.
• If you’re not accustomed to indicating before changing lanes, you might find it irritating as the car attempts to guide you back into the lane when this setting is enabled.
• The 360-degree camera and sensors activate automatically in city traffic. It’s a fantastic feature that helps avoid scratches and maintain a safe distance. I used to activate this manually in the previous car, but now it’s automatic.
• The air conditioning is adequate and comfortable. Dual-zone settings cater to both driver and passenger preferences for different climate settings.
• The car’s height can pose challenges for the car cleaning personnel; it’s tall, limiting their reach to certain spots.
• On the very first day, I switched out the Apollo tires for Yokohama 225/55 R18. I managed to get 28k for the Apollo tires. Despite options like Continental and Bridgestone, I opted for Yokohama.
• Depending on the lighting and surroundings, the car in imperial blue displays various hues—shifting between black, dark blue, and occasionally even hints of purple!

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